Tag: controllers

Sound Blaster Re:Imagine Brings a ’90s Tech Brand Into 2025

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audio | controllers | gadgets | modular | retro | sound blaster

’90s kids may remember the name Sound Blaster. Now, the sound card maker is back with a modern gadget. Creative’s Re:Imagine is a modular audio hub with a DAC, amplifier, touchscreen, buttons, a scroll wheel, and sliders that can control music, games, and creative workflows. It has audio inputs, outputs, USB-C ports, and even plays retro games.

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Crowdfunded projects pose a degree of risk for buyers, so be sure to do your research before paying your hard-earned money.

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Paul Strauss

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November 12, 2025
Sound Blaster Re:Imagine Brings a ’90s Tech Brand Into 2025

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audio | controllers | gadgets | modular | retro | sound blaster

’90s kids may remember the name Sound Blaster. Now, the sound card maker is back with a modern gadget. Creative’s Re:Imagine is a modular audio hub with a DAC, amplifier, touchscreen, buttons, a scroll wheel, and sliders that can control music, games, and creative workflows. It has audio inputs, outputs, USB-C ports, and even plays retro games.

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When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Crowdfunded projects pose a degree of risk for buyers, so be sure to do your research before paying your hard-earned money.

[ad_2] Paul Strauss
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November 12, 2025
8BitDo’s N64 Controller Is Better Than Nintendo’s Original

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The Nintendo 64 was a fantastic console, home to generation-defining games such as Super Mario 64 and GoldenEye 007. With its four built-in controller ports, it revolutionized multiplayer gaming in front of the TV, and it was the first mainstream console to introduce an analog stick, essential for navigating the burgeoning 3D worlds the medium was starting to deliver.

Unfortunately, the controller it did all that with was an abomination, an unholy three-pronged monstrosity that earned my lifelong disdain. Fast-forward roughly three decades, though, and third-party peripheral maker 8BitDo has improved on the original N64 pad in almost every way with its new 64 Bluetooth Controller.

Nostalgia Upgraded

Photograph: Matt Kamen

8BitDo’s pad is chiefly designed for the Analogue3D, an upcoming field programmable gate array (FPGA) console set to play original N64 cartridges, but it can be paired to practically any Bluetooth-enabled device, from PCs to smartphones to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 consoles, where it can be used to play the digital N64 game library included for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.

Aesthetically, traditionalists may lament the lack of the original N64 pad’s pops of color, but they have a sleek elegance to them. Intended to mirror the similarly monochrome Analogue3D, 8BitDo’s efforts match perfectly, while also looking like a fitting companion to Nintendo’s official Switch 2 Pro Controller. Functionally, this takes everything that made Nintendo’s original controller so groundbreaking and repackages it into a modern unit that, crucially, fits into the average human’s two hands. Every input is present and accounted for, accurate down to icons and fonts.

The 64 Bluetooth Controller massively improves the orientation, though. The original Z-Trigger, once on the underside of the official controller’s middle prong, is now two shoulder buttons, sitting where the L2/R2 triggers do on a PlayStation grip, while the analog stick is shunted to the left, comparable to an Xbox controller’s left stick. The result is that every input is within easy reach, eliminating the need to juggle your grip. It also introduces some welcome 21st-century upgrades, like making the thumbstick drift-proof thanks to Hall effect tech, and baking in haptic feedback, eliminating the need for a separate Rumble Pak.

Stick ’Em Up

Photograph: Matt Kamen

The thumbstick is the star, feeling incredibly precise thanks to both Hall effect sensors and retaining the eight-way “gate” at its base, the octagonal notches allowing it to snap satisfyingly into place. Expect effortless combos in 1080° Snowboarding, precise shots in Perfect Dark, and smooth flying in Starfox. The staff of the stick is also wider, shorter, and made of metal, making it feel far sturdier than that of the original pad. While the top of the stick reproduces the trio of raised concentric rings and subtle concave dip for your thumb to rest on, it’s rubberized now, rather than slippery plastic, making for a surer grip.

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Matt Kamen

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August 24, 2025
This Mobile MagSafe Gamepad Concept Revives the PSP Go’s Slide-out Design

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Josh King’s M-Con is a Bluetooth gamepad for smartphones that works with the iPhone’s MagSafe connector (and compatible cases). Once attached, it slides in and out the back of the phone like the controls on the PSP Go. Josh is planning on raising funds for the gamepad on Kickstarter in 2025. Retro Game Corps got their hands on a working prototype.

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Lambert Varias

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October 9, 2024
Razer’s Newest Xbox Controller Has Tons of Customizable and Durable Tech

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The latest version of Razer’s Xbox and PC controller has six remappable inputs: four back paddles and two bumpers near the shoulder buttons. Its triggers can be toggled between analog and instant actuation. It uses Hall Effect joysticks for a drift-free experience. It has a wireless dongle, while its wired mode gets you a 1000 Hz polling rate.

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Lambert Varias

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September 4, 2024
Check Out the Awesome Xbox Adaptive Joystick for Gamers with Limited Mobility

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A follow-up to the Xbox Adaptive Controller, the Xbox Adaptive Joystick is essentially half of a modern gamepad. Its thumbstick’s topper is meant to be easily replaceable to better fit users with limited mobility, with Xbox promising 3D printable toppers. It’s also compatible with Windows 10/11, Android, and iOS. Available early 2025.

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Lambert Varias

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September 4, 2024
The Stream Deck Neo is Cheaper and Better than the OG Stream Deck

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Elgato’s new Neo line features beginner and budget-friendly versions of its gadgets. The star of the show, of course, is the Stream Deck Neo. Aside from the trademark programmable LCD shortcut keys, it has an equally versatile info bar and something that no other Stream Deck has: two dedicated touchpads for switching between sets of shortcuts.

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Lambert Varias

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April 24, 2024
The Best Game Controller for Every Kind of Player

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There are so many game controllers out there, but not all of them were good enough to make the list above. These are the other controllers we have tested recently.

Nacon Revolution 5 Pro for $200: This highly customizable PS5 controller boasts Hall Effect sticks and triggers, programmable back paddles, and a great D-pad. You can tweak the weight, stick length and grips, and even the trigger actuation. It boasts a 10-hour battery life and you can connect your headset via Bluetooth or plug-in. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and you don’t get the haptic feedback or adaptive triggers that you’ll find in Sony’s excellent DualSense controllers.

Nacon Pro Compact Controller Colorlight for $50: I am a sucker for translucent tech, so this Nacon controller immediately caught my eye. Not only can you see through to the electronic innards, but they also added colored LEDs with lighting effects you can cycle through. As the name suggests, this is a compact controller. The smaller size may suit kids or folks with smaller hands, but I found it slightly uncomfortable after an hour in Minecraft. It is also a wired controller, but you can tweak stick sensitivity and some other bits and pieces in the Nacon app, and it’s not too pricey.

Power-A Fusion Pro 3 for $78: With a detachable faceplate, nicely textured grips, trigger locks for different depths, swappable thumbsticks, and a long detachable cable, this controller has a lot to recommend it. The shoulder buttons and relatively high price are why it misses out on a place above (the GameSir G7 edges it on value). But this is my daughter’s favorite wired controller because she plays with a headset and loves that there is a 3.5mm audio jack with volume and mute controls. She also likes the four mappable back buttons.

Nacon Revolution X Pro for $100: This wired Xbox and PC controller comes with a long (around 10 foot), detachable, braided USB-C cable. Nacon offers an impressive level of customization, including interchangeable thumbsticks, programmable back buttons, and weights to help you get the feel you want. The Profile button lets you cycle through four presets, a switch toggles configurations, and it has a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can tweak everything in the flaky Revolution X app for Xbox or PC. While it works well, I don’t love the cheap feel (even with adjusted weight), and the rear triggers are awkward. At full price, the Revolution X Pro is too expensive for a wired controller, but discounts are frequent.

QRD Spark N5 for $49: This affordable PS4 controller has Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, programmable back paddles, adjustable LED lights, and decent battery life (around 8 hours). It also works with Windows, Steam Deck, Android, or iOS and can be used to play PS4 games on PS5 (but not PS5 games). It can’t compete with our pick above (Scuf) but is a decent alternative at a quarter of the price. Unfortunately, it feels kinda cheap, with the shoulder triggers and D-pad particularly disappointing.

QRD Stellar T5 for $59: I love the idea behind this Nintendo Switch controller. At first glance, it looks like the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller above, but you can take it apart to slide your Switch into the middle. The controller boasts Hall Effect joysticks, mechanical switches, adjustable vibration, and LED lights. It also has a six-axis motion-sensing gyroscope and programmable back buttons. It works with Windows, Android, or iOS, too. Unfortunately, the triggers are mushy.

Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel for $1,000: WIRED editor Parker Hall raved about Logitech’s racing wheel accessory, and racing game fans with deep pockets will love it. It adds a layer of reality to your in-gaming driving with force feedback and vibrations that help you feel every surface. The gear shift paddles have Hall Effect sensors. There is also an OLED display that enables you to tweak settings without opening the app.

Power-A Advantage Wired Controller with Lumectra for $45: This Xbox Series X/S controller is affordable, and a lengthy (10-foot) detachable cable comes in the box. It feels much like a regular Xbox controller, but it’s not very grippy, and I’m not keen on the shoulder triggers. The 3.5mm audio jack is handy, but there are no volume and mute controls (unlike Power-A’s superior Fusion 3). The Lumectra model comes bundled with an RGB light strip, but we found the lights tricky to control, and they often changed unexpectedly. Over time, the detachable USB-C cable got quite loose and occasionally slipped out in the middle of a game.

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Jaina Grey, Simon Hill

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April 20, 2024
You Can Clamp Your Phone Into Razer’s Fancy New Game Controller

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Given everyone’s sustained interest in playing games on their phones, companies are eager to offer an experience that works better than just jabbing your fingers on a touchscreen. Razer, the maker of unapologetically robust and garish gaming devices, has a new offering that does just that.

The new Razer Kishi Ultra is a souped up controller that adds pro-level thumbsticks, buttons, and triggers to just about any mobile device. It’s the latest in Razer’s Kishi lineup of portable gaming devices, which launched in 2020. The two handles pull apart, allowing you to slide your phone in between them. Let the spring-loaded clamp grip your phone, and you’ve got something like a DIY Nintendo Switch. It uses a USB-C port to connect to the phone. In addition, it can handle an iPad Mini and any Android tablet measuring up to 8 diagonal inches as long as it has a USB-C port. The Kishi Ultra only works with USB-C iPhones, so it’s limited to iPhone 15 and beyond. (It can even handle some folding phones.) The Kishi Ultra can also connect to your PC via USB-C cable. Like nearly everything Razer makes, the Kishi Ultra is loaded up with RGB lighting options which you can change via the associated app, so you can have your fill of customizable flashiness.

The Kishi is unlike the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, which are fully fledged portable gaming machines on their own. But gaming devices with more specific use cases are gaining popularity, like Playstation’s Portal device, which only lets you stream games from your existing PS5. Razer has been making gaming handheld devices since 2013, and has its own Steam Deck-style Razer Edge handheld. But more and more companies are eager to make devices that work with the screen you already have in your pocket. Devices like Razer’s latest and those from the gaming company Backbone are meant to strap controllers to the side of your device and enhance your mobile play time.

Here’s some other consumer tech news from this week.

Meta Adds an AI Images to WhatsApp

Meta has added AI Image generation capabilities to its WhatsApp messaging platform. As part of its rollout for its Llama 3 large language model that came this week, the company has juiced up its Meta AI in-app offerings.

The AI image generation option in WhatsApp works like sending a text message. You can go into a private chat with Meta AI and type out a prompt. The keyword in the input field is “imagine,” so if you type that and a description of the image you want to create, the AI assistant will generate a visual representation of your prompt. And it happens nearly instantly. The image pops up on screen as you’re typing, and you can see the image change and generate in real time as you add more words to your prompt. This can get … quite weird as you add more parameters to your request, but the more descriptive you are, the more detail the generator can work into a picture. The resulting images are about what you would expect from any AI art source these days—weird proportions, humans with too many fingers, misplaced eyeballs. Still, it’s both neat and very strange to watch an AI generate your description of something as you’re writing it.

Meet GMC’s Hulking New Denali EV Pickup

Photograph: GMC

There is a deluge of new EVs coming out this year, ranging from tiny three-wheeled smart cars like the Nimbus One to revved-up supercars like the upcoming electric Dodge Charger. Pickup trucks are a slightly more niche space in the EV market, aside from popular models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian’s offerings, and Tesla’s floundering Cybertruck (every one of which was just recalled.)

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Boone Ashworth

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April 20, 2024
The Best Mobile Controllers for Gaming on the Go

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There are several other mobile controllers we tested that just missed out on a place above or failed to make the grade, plus a few that we are keen to test soon.

Turtle Beach Atom Controller for $80: With a clever two-piece design, this controller folds away neatly, but feels insecure without a back. The clamps on each side are awkward, particularly with phones sporting large camera modules. I had trouble connecting, and dislike that the right side has to be turned on separately (press B and menu buttons). The right side connects wirelessly (2.4 GHz), but the controller connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It mostly worked fine for me, but when I played Jydge, the movement was inverted on the left stick. You get around 20 hours of battery life. It takes about two hours to charge. If portability is your main concern, it may be worth a look.

GameSir T4 Cyclone for $40: Relatively affordable, with a grippy finish and Hall Effect joysticks, this is a solid controller. There are a couple of programmable buttons around back, rumble motors in the grips, and a handy multi-function button. It also supports Bluetooth, 2.4-GHz with an optional dongle, and USB-C connections. But the battery is only 860 mAh, the GameSir app is flaky, and the LED is annoyingly bright.

GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro for $70: Supplanted by GuliKit’s new model, this controller is a bit cheaper and is still a good pick for folks who don’t care about back paddles. It has Hall effect sticks, a programmable button, and most of the other features that the KK Max 3 listed above has.

Nacon MG-X Pro for $88: It feels like Nacon cut an Xbox controller in half to insert an extendable phone cradle, but if you want this style of controller the GameSir G8 listed above is what we recommend. The MG-X Pro is slightly roomier, but the G8 is superior in every other way.

PowerA Moga XP Ultra for $107: I love the idea of combining loads of options into a controller, and PowerA’s crazy Moga XP Ultra is certainly versatile. It works wirelessly with your Xbox, Windows PC, or Android phone, offering solid battery life (up to 40 hours via Bluetooth or 60 hours for Xbox). But the gimmicky mini controller that slides out, Transformer-style, for gaming on the go is too small and hard to grip comfortably. The buttons, triggers, and sticks are all good, and the clip works fine for holding your phone, but the D-pad is stiff. All in all, it’s a pricey mixed bag.

Razer Kishi V2 for $90: The Razer Kishi V2 is fine, but it’s slower, bigger, and less polished than the Backbone One. It’s an extendable mobile controller that comes in Android and iPhone versions. Both can stream PlayStation or Xbox games and work with Windows too. But ultimately, Backbone’s superior software and headphone jack make it the better choice. —Louryn Strampe

Riot PWR iOS Xbox Edition Cloud Gaming Controller for $25: An MFi-certified controller for iPhone or iPad gaming (older Lightning port devices) that boasts pass-through charging, direct Lightning cable connection, and a 3.5-mm audio port. It feels much like an Xbox controller, supports Xbox Cloud Gaming or remote play, and comes with one free month of Game Pass Ultimate. On the downside, the cable is a bit messy. The Riot PWR MFi Controller for ($68) is almost identical, but without the garish green styling and colored Xbox buttons. There’s a USB-C option too.

Turtle Beach Recon Cloud for $59: Here is another Xbox-branded controller that supports Xbox Cloud Gaming and Remote Play and comes with one free month of Game Pass Ultimate. It feels good in-hand, has a solid phone clip, and works with Android, Xbox, and Windows. It also features some audio enhancements (when plugged in), programmable buttons, and a handy Pro-Aim feature that reduces sensitivity on the right stick for aiming in FPS games. It’s a good upgrade pick over the PowerA controller listed above, but only if you want the extra features.

GameSir X3 for $100: On paper, this is an upgrade over the X2, with refined buttons, more options for the joysticks, and a cooling fan on the back. But I recommend the cheaper X2 Pro listed above instead, because the fan adds bulk and weight and it needs power via a dedicated USB-C port. (It has a separate USB-C port for pass-through charging of your phone.)

PowerA Moga XP7-X Plus for $85: This controller offers everything the XP-5 X does but you can also remove the stand in the center to slot in your phone (my Pixel 6 Pro fits nicely). It is sturdy, offers plenty of buttons (only a screenshot button is missing), and can wirelessly charge your phone. But it is expensive, has a Micro USB port when I’d prefer USB-C, and has only a 2,000 mAh battery, so stick with the XP-5 X unless you really want that spring-loaded cradle to fit your phone in.

8BitDo SN30 Pro for $45: Conjuring memories of the SNES, this controller works with Android, Windows, MacOS, and Switch. It has built-in rumble, a solid D-pad, good battery life, and a USB-C port.

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Simon Hill, Louryn Strampe

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April 7, 2024
This is Where Start, Select, and Other Gamepad Buttons Came From

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You probably know that Nintendo came up with the A and B buttons in video game controllers. But did you know that they were not the first to use Start and Select? Or that we have Sega to thank for the ergonomics of the Xbox controller layout? Learn all that and more from YouTuber Lextorias’ deep dive into the origins of video game controller buttons.

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Lambert Varias

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March 27, 2024